Sapidity In The City

Linguine carbonara

2006-07-07T17:55:00.000-04:00

linguine carbonara
Originally uploaded by Siddity.

As comfort food goes, there's nothing quite like pasta. It's an incredible vehicle for the comforting tastes we crave: fat, salt.

Needing a bit of comfort, I reached for the spaghetti carbonara recipe I'd found in Ruth Reichl's memoir, Garlic and Sapphires, and made a few mods: linguine in place of spaghetti, extra bacon, the addition of asparagus. Start to finish, with interruptions and no concept of mise en place, this meal took about 40 minutes to prepare, and about three to inhale.

Ingredients:
2/3 lb fresh linguine
2/3 lb bacon, chopped into 1/2"-3/4" bits
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1"-1 1/2" spears
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c. grated parmegiano reggiano, grated
salt and pepper to taste

According to Reichl, the pasta should come first, but since I used fresh instead of dried, I actually prepped that last.

Cook bacon for 2 minutes. Add garlic, peeled and coarsely slivered. Cook until bacon is just crisp around edges--not fully crisp. Turn off heat.Quickly steam asparagus and remove from heat when bright green. Set aside. Beat eggs in a large mixing dish, and add pepper. Set aside. Boil pasta in salted water, about 3 minutes (10 if using dried pasta). Drain pasta and dump immediately into beaten eggs. Mix. The heat of the pasta will cause eggs to cook into a sauce. Add bacon, with fat and garlic, to egg and pasta mixture. Toss. Add asparagus. Toss. Finally, add grated cheese and toss one last time. You're done!

Serves about four.

St. Patty's Day Brekkie!

2006-03-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

St. Patty's Day Brekkie!
Originally uploaded by Siddity.

Aidell's Maple Bacon sausages--delicious chicken suasages filled with sweet potato, maple syrup and bacon--amazingly good, and only 90 calories ber link (they are only slightly smaller than hot dogs.

Two fried eggs.

A side of my favorite homefries: one potato, coarsely diced, tossed with one minced clove of garlic, one quarter cup minced onion, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, sauteed in olive oil or roasted at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Not quite bangers and mash, but the sentiment (and base ingredients) is there!

Get your Irish on!

yummy comfort food

2005-12-30T02:07:00.000-05:00

Baked potato soup
makes 10 cups.

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 c. butter or margarine
2/3 c. all-purpose flour
6 c. milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 green onions, chopped and divided
12 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided
1 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 8 oz. carton sour cream

Wash potatoes and prick several times with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for
an hour or until done. Let cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop
out pulp. (I kept the skins on and also just chopped up the potatoes in cubes. I've also boiled the potatoes instead of baking to speed up the process.)

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add 6 cups milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Add potato pulp (or potato cubes), salt, pepper, 2 tbs. green onions, 1/2 c. bacon and 1 c. cheese. cook until thoroughly heated; stir in sour cream. Add extra milk, if necessary, for desired thickness. Serve topped with remaining onions, bacon and cheese.

My friend said jalapeno pepper cheese mixed with cheddar made the soup nicely spicy. I've added jalapenos (canned or pickled works just as well as, sometimes better than, fresh), which also adds a nice kick.

You can also use low-fat cheese, milk and sour cream, if you like.

Take the edge off Autum chill with Curried Pumpkin Soup

2005-10-18T23:33:00.000-04:00

pumpkin soup
Originally uploaded by Siddity.

Ingredients:
2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped carrot
1.5 c. chopped white mushroom
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chopped boniato (white sweet potato)
4 tbs. butter
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar

In large stock pot, sautee onions, garlic, carrots and mushrooms in butter over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add boniato and sautee additional 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add canned pumpkin, one cup at a time, stirring until dispersed. Add curry powder, cumin, cinnamon and sugar and stir, then simmer additional 10 minutes on very low heat.

Remove from heat and serve topped with slices of green apple and cold, roasted chicken.

Serves about 10. Without the chicken and apple, soup is approximately 132 calories per bowl, packed with vitamins and in-season, fall harvest vegetables. Warm, fragrant, spicy and delicious.

Enjoy!

what is this, velvet?

2005-10-14T00:10:00.000-04:00

what is this, velvet?

i baked this cake for one of my friends, who requested it for her birthday. this cake is supposedly a southern specialty, but i didn't hear of it until last year. at any rate, this cake is smooth, fluffy, delicious; but the flavor of it can't really be tamped down. it's not really chocolate, it's definitely not vanilla -- it's just red velvet.

Red Vevet Cake

Vegetable oil for the pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Crushed pecans, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans (i made 2 layers, instead of 3).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer. Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days (if you do two layers, you will most definitely have extra).

recipe courtesy of cakeman raven confectionary via food network

beignets

2005-09-23T02:18:00.001-04:00

beignet
Originally uploaded by immjay.

i got a craving for something sweet, so i made these one evening. it works best if you have an oil thermometer; i didn't get the right color until about the third batch b/c i didn't know the oil's temperature.

Sweet Beignets
about 2 dozen

corn oil, for frying, or another oil with high smoke point, such as safflower or peanut
3 1/2 cups sifted flour, plus extra for rolling
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar, for serving

Fill a large, heavy-bottomed, wide-mouthed pot halfway with corn oil and heat over a medium-high flame until oil reaches a temperature of 360 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl whisk together sugar and eggs. Stir canola oil and milk into sugar-egg mixture. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture until a biscuit-like dough forms.

Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and, using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut into 2-inch squares (i used a sharp knife that i kept dipping in flour). You will have scraps leftover but do not try to remix these as that will cause tough dough; just fry as are.

Use the dough scraper to lift dough squares off the work surface. Fry the beignets in small batches about 4 minutes, or until golden, turning several times to color evenly. Using a slotted spoon gently remove the beignets and drain thoroughly on paper towels. Place powdered sugar in a sieve and shake over the beignets to cover with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

recipe courtesy of emeril

puerto rican-style black bean soup

2005-09-23T02:13:00.000-04:00

blackbean
Originally uploaded by immjay.

i LOVE this recipe. it's so quick, easy and hella tasty! you can halve this for a hearty one serving. run the fan when browning the seasonings. it's a little pungent and makes me cough if i'm not careful.
Puerto Rican-style black bean soup
serves two

1 tablespoon caribbean jerk seasoning blend
2 15- to 16-ounce cans caribbean-style or regular black beans, drained (now, i've never seen "carribbean-style black beans" in the store. i usually get goya)
1 1/4 cups canned vegetable broth (you can also use chicken broth; i've used both)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
lime wedges

Stir 1 tablespoon seasoning blend in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darker in color, about 4 minutes. Transfer seasoning to processor. Add black beans, vegetable broth and olive oil to processor and purée until mixture is almost smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Transfer purée to same saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Mix in lime juice. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges.

courtesy of epicurious

lemon bars

2005-09-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

lemon
Originally uploaded by immjay.

i made these cos i got a craving one day after seeing paula deen's lemon bars on tv. these aren't paula deen's, but it's a recipe that's from the food network. my friend loved the crust so much that she wanted me to just make the crust for her!

Lemon Bars
makes 24

COOKIE BASE
1 cup unsalted butter, melted (i actually just cut my cold butter into little chunks)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups unbleached allpurpose flour

LEMON FILLING
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons unbleached allpurpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon rind

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together butter, powdered sugar and flour until well blended (since my butter was melted, i mixed it until all the ingredients were mixed well together, with the butter in little flecks through out the dough). Press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Sift together sugar, flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add eggs, lemon juice and lemon rind. Beat by hand or with electric mixer until well blended. Pour mixture over crust and bake for 25 minutes.

Allow bars to cool, then dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

turkey cutlets with rosemary and corn-meal-dusted ravioli

2005-09-19T15:37:00.000-04:00

turkey
Originally uploaded by immjay.

Turkey Cutlets with Rosemary and Corn-Meal-Dusted Ravioli
serves 4

RAVIOLI
1 package (12 to 14 ounces) fresh ravioli, either filled with cheese, spinach and cheese, or mushroom and cheese (found on dairy aisle of most markets; i used spinach, artichoke and cheese ravioli)
salt, to taste
1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup parmigiano or romano grated cheese (a couple of handfuls)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

TURKEY CUTLETS
1&1/3 pounds turkey cutlets
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped, the yield of a few sprigs, stripped
salt and coarse freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of freshbay leaves, 1 for each cutlet, (available in produce herb section), or, small dried bay leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
the zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1 tablespoon butter

Place a large pot of water to boil over high heat and cover. When it comes to boil, add a healthy dose of salt and cook ravioli to package directions for al dente.

Pour corn meal onto a plate and combine with grated cheese, then mix in nutmeg and black pepper.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over moderate heat and add oil and butter. Drain ravioli. Dust hot ravioli (it is important that they are hot; the cornmeal mixture will stick better that way) in corn meal on the plate, then add to the skillet and brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Set aside.

When pasta is cooking, preheat a large skillet for turkey cutlets over medium to medium-high heat.

Season cutlets with chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Choose small fresh or dried bay leaves or halve large leaves with kitchen scissors. Press a small bay leaf or half leaf into each turkey cutlet. Add olive oil to the pan, then the cutlets, bay leaf side down. Saute in a single layer, working in 2 batched if necessary, 4 or 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warm plate. Add the lemon zest and juice to the pan and deglaze with wine or vermouth, pulling up and pan drippings with a whisk. Add a pat of butter, whisk it in and pour the sauce down over the cutlets. Serve alongside the fried ravioli with a green tossed salad.

-- from 30-minute meals 2 by rachel ray

noodle bowls

2005-09-19T14:47:00.000-04:00

another goodie from rachel ray. it's basically ramen, just healthier and MUCH tastier. this recipe puts chicken in it, but i decided to nix the chix and just go for a vegetarian noodle bowl (well, with chicken broth). what's great about this recipe is that it's very adaptable. there's 50 million variations you can do to this.

it's also great when for cooking for one; you can chop all the veggies, store in a plastic bag, and heat up broth and noodles, one serving at a time.

Noodle Bowls
serves 4

3 quarts vegetable stock or chicken broth
1&1/2 pounds fresh linguine (available on the dairy aisle, but i just used boxed linguine)
1&1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into bite-sized chunks, or chicken breasts cut for stir-fry
8 scallions cut into bite-sized pieces on an angle
2 cups shredded carrots (available in pouches in produce section)
1 package fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 24 mushrooms) coarsely chopped (i used baby bella)
1/2 head bok choy, trimmed and shredded (i used 2 heads of baby bok choy)
1/2 pound snow peas, cut in hald on an angle (i used sugar snaps)
chopped fresh cilantro and/or chives, for garnish (optional; since this was just for me, i nixed this)

Bring 3 quarts of vegetable stock or chicken broth to a boil in a soup pot (i added some extra seasoning here -- seasoned salt and pepper).

In a large separate pot of boiling salted water, cook fresh linguine 3 minutes. Drain pasta just before it's done, as it will finish cooking while it steeps in your soup bowls. (since i used box pasta, i cooked it for 7 minutes, instead of the recommended 9. in other words, just take 2 minutes off the recommended cook time.)

Divide cooked fresh pasta into 4 equal amounts and place into 4 deep bowls.

Add chicken to boiling broth and poach chicken 5 minutes.

Add veggies to bowls of pasta. Ladle brothe and chicken equally into the four bowls to cover vegetables and noodles. Cover bowls tightly with small plates and let the soup steep 5 minutes.

Uncover your noodle bowls and serve. Garnish with cilantro and/or chives for extra zing, if you prefer.

miniature jalapeno souffles

2005-08-25T01:23:00.000-04:00

souffles
Originally uploaded by immjay.

yeah, i'm on a posting roll, i know. just playing catch-up on all the goodies i've made lately but just haven't posted.

these yummy things were the only thing i made from my planned birthday menu. that is, of the 5 things i planned to make for my birthday party, this is the only thing i actually prepared. i made em the day before and heated them up during the party.

this recipe calls for a mini-muffin tin -- i actually went to crate & barrel and bought one for $15. also, i didn't use the pine nuts. i have a love/hate relationship with the things. however, i'm thinking i may try them next time.

...oh yeah. i got this from sara moulton on the food network.

Miniature Jalapeno Souffles
makes 12

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the tins
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons very finely chopped pine nuts
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced (i used 1 1/2 jalapenos)
6 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 large egg, separated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Butter a nonstick mini-muffin tin with 12 (1/8-cup) wells that measure 1 3/4 inches in diameter and 3/4-inch deep. Mix 1 tablespoon of the flour with 1/2 the pine nuts in a small bowl. Dust the tins with the flour and nut mixture. Tap out the excess.

Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and the jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and add the cheese, salt, pepper, mustard, and egg yolk. Cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg white until firm but not stiff. Stir a 1/4 of the white into the cheese sauce. Gently fold in the remaining white. Spoon into the prepared tins, sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts, and bake until puffed and golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Cool in the tins on wire racks. When cool, run a small knife around the edge of each souffle. (The souffles will fall as they cool.) They can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated. Bake in the muffin tins in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

salmon cakes on baby greens with chili mayo

2005-08-22T16:19:00.000-04:00

salmon cakes
Originally uploaded by immjay.

another recipe from rachel ray, this was cheaper than going to the store and buying a fillet of salmon. i've always been wary of canned salmon ever since my dad used to make salmon and eggs for breakfast (i HATED it), but this is fantabulous. and quick, too.

my cakes ended up a little smaller than they probably are supposed to because i used two 7.5 oz. cans rather than three 6 oz. cans. also, be careful with the coarse salt -- a little goes a long way.

Salmon Cakes on Mixed Baby Greens
Makes 4 servings

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
3 portions (6 ounces each) cooked salmon OR 3 cans (6 ounces each) salmon, drained well
1 to 1 1/2 cups cracker meal (or bread crumbs; I used breadcrumbs for seafood that I had in the house)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 rounded tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
20 blades fresh chives, snipped or chopped
1 to 3 tablespoons fresh dill (a handful), finely chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce (Tabasco or other brand)
The juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 sack (10 ounces) mixed baby greens
Coarse salt, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 cup mayonnaise or reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish

Heat a large, heavy skillet with 1 inch of frying oil over moderate heat,

In a medium bowl, flake the cooked or drained canned salmon with a fork. Add about 1 cup cracker meal and work through the fish with your hands. (I used a fork.) Add the eggs, Old Bay Seasoning, bell pepper, chives, dill, cayenne pepper sauce, and the zest of one lemon and continue to blend well. If the mixture is wet, add more cracker meal. Form 3-inch patties about 1-inch thick. You should have 8 to 10 cakes. Fry in hot oil in a single layer until golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Toss salad greens with coarse salt and the juice of the lemon you just zested. Drizzle the greens with a little olive oil and re-toss to coat.

Combine mayo, chili sauce, and relish in a small dish. To serve, place salmon cakes o a bed of baby greens, 2 cakes per person, and top with chili mayo.

special fried rice

2005-08-22T15:57:00.000-04:00

fried rice
Originally uploaded by immjay.

even though i totally clowned on her when i first saw her cooking show, i've SO been digging her since i bought one of her books, 30 minute meals 2 (i dug more of the recipes in the second one).

and this recipe is a good illustration why. it took me a little longer because i cut up carrots i already had in the house, but if you do this recipe to the letter, this can't take more than 15 minutes, shorter than the time it takes to order fried rice from that suspect chinese delivery place around the corner and get it delivered.

this recipe calls for use of a wok (which i randomly have), but you can also use a nonstick frying pan.

Special Fried Rice
Makes 4 servings

2 to 3 cups cold, leftover rice OR
2 cups water
1 cup white rice

3 tablespoons vegetable or wok oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inches fresh gingerroot, minced or grated
1/2 cup shredded carrots (available in pouches in the produce section)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup Tamari, dark soy sauce (found on Asian foods aisle)

Bring water to boil. Add rice, reduce heat, cover and cook over medium-low heat until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Spread on a cookie sheet to quick cool it.

Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan. Add eggs ad scramble, then move to the side of the pan and add a little more oil to the center (or, as I did, remove from pan and set aside). Add garlic and ginger, then carrots, pepper, and scallions, and quick-fry veggies, 2 minutes. Add rice and combine with veggies. Incoporate the scrambled eggs and continue to cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Add peas and soy sauce and stir-fry 1 minute more, then serve.

Gazpacho!

2005-05-21T23:05:00.000-04:00

4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2-3 cloves (depending on size of cloves-use less if cloves are large) garlic, minced
4 c. tomato juice or low sodium V8
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
sea salt to taste

Add minced and chopped ingredients, along with tomato juice, olive oil and vinegar, to a blender and blend on low until desired consistency is reached (I suggest slightly chunky).

Chill. Serve garnished with guacamole, frech cucumber sticks, or cocktail shrimp. Excellent, healthy, super-low calorie summer soup.

Moroccan Sweet Potatoes

2005-03-12T02:29:00.000-05:00

2 large sweet potatoes
1 small onion
5 or 6 oz. package of white mushrooms
1 15.5 oz. can of chickpeas
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3-5 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
10-15 cloves
5-10 cardamom pods
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.

Wash sweet potatoes. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Quarter the slices. Drain chickpeas. Slice mushrooms and onion.

Put sweet potatoes, mushrooms chickpeas and onion in large mixing bowl, and douse with olive oil. Mix thoroughly with hands until vegetable mixture is coated. Sprinkle with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and mix again with hands. Drizzle honey over vegetable mixture (3-5 tbsp., to taste depending on how sweet you'd like it) and mix again with hands until evenly coated with honey and spice. Stir in 10-15 cloves and 10 cardamom pods. Sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper to taste.

Transfer sweet potato mixture to two baking pans (I used 9" round cake pans) or dishes, with about 3-4 tbsp. water in the bottom. Cover pans with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Bake uncovered an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot as main course or side.

Nosh: Abba smoked herring and smoked salmon pates

2005-03-12T00:59:00.000-05:00

One of the quickest, tastiest snacks in my pantry right now.

shitake and asparagus risotto

2005-03-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

as you can see by the photo, i served this with the herb crusted chicken. i got this recipe from epicurious too.

i was inspired to make risotto after having lovely shrimp risotto from grotta azzurra. i've always been afraid to make it -- i heard somewhere that it was difficult, but bolstered by the disclaimer in the epicurious recipe, i tried it.

it wasn't hard at all, just a little stir heavy for the last 15-20 minutes. i would definitely recommend having leftover chicken broth (or veggie broth) to thin out leftover risotto. i also didn't use shitake mushrooms, but i used a mix of sliced portobello and white mushrooms.

shitake and mushroom risotto
5 cups chicken broth (40 fl oz)
1 cup water
1 lb thin to medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, leaving tips 1 1/2 inches long
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 oz)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)

Bring broth and water to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Add asparagus and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.

Heat oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Ladle in 1 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is just tender and looks creamy, 18 to 20 minutes. (Save leftover broth for thinning.)

Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese, remaining tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in asparagus and mushrooms, then cover pan and let stand 1 minute. If desired, thin risotto with some of remaining broth. Serve immediately with remaining cheese on the side.

herb crusted chicken

2005-03-07T18:29:00.000-05:00

i got this recipe from my favorite online recipe source, epicurious.

the chicken was very easy to make and had bonus points b/c it was baked, not fried.
however, i didn't pound the chicken breasts; i simply bought thinly sliced chicken breasts. i also didn't use any fresh herbs or juice. i just used what i had in the house -- lemon juice concentrate and dried herbs.

i would recommend using real lemon juice, as the chicken tasted a bit too lemony at times, but it did make the chicken moist, even tho they were thin slices. i would also recommend oiling the baking sheet very well -- i lost the bottom bit of my crust to my baking pan, even tho my pan is supposedly non-stick (i bought it at the grocery store, so who knows?).

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups plain dry breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Lemon wedges

Using meat mallet, pound chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. Arrange chicken in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour lemon juice over. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Remove chicken from dish and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt butter with oil in small saucepan over medium heat; cool slightly. Mix breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper in pie dish. Brush chicken breasts on both sides with melted butter mixture. Coat chicken on both sides with breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake until chicken is cooked through and breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to plates. Serve, passing lemon wedges alongside.

Soup's On

2005-03-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

Here are three of the recipes I've posted to my other blog.

1. A low-fat, no-carb seafood chowder: it's cream-, potato- and flour-free, thickened only by blended cauliflower. I had wanted to make either the creamy cauliflower soup from Rachel Ray's book 30 Minute Vegetarian Meals, or the New England veggie chowder from the Claire's Cornercopia Cookbook, but I didn't have the right ingredients for either recipe and am not crazy about potato based soups, so I scrapped them both and made something up.

1 lb. baby or bay scallops
1 medium to large head cauliflower
1 small white onion, diced
1 clove minced garlic
3 cups skim milk
1 cup water
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leafCoarse salt and ground white pepper to taste

In a large pot, boil cleaned and trimmed head of cauliflower until tender. Remove florets and set aside. Discard stem (feel free to remove florets first and then boil them, which is probably quicker).

In 3 quart saucepan, saute onions, garlic and 1/3 to 1/2 of scallops in olive oil until scallops are thoroughly cooked and a small amounf of stock has formed. Remove from heat.

Remove scallops from onion and garlic mixture. Add milk, water and cauliflower florets and blend, using hand blender, until relatively smooth. Return to heat. Add thyme, bay leaf, cooked scallops and remaining scallops. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

And that's it. I think this version might benefit from a spinkling of shavings of hard cheese, like asiago or romano, which is what that Rachel Ray suggests in her book. I also think it could do with a splash of white cooking wine, but I didn't have any on hand and that might just counterbalance this soup's many health benefits: Calcium! Protein! Fiber! I'm pretty happy with the results, but I think I'll tinker with the recipe for next time. Parsley might be nice. Using a cup of vegetable stock instead of plain water might also add a more interesting note to it. And more veggies--say, corn, celery and carrots-would undoubtedly be good. I just liked the idea of having a pure white soup this time around.

2. Black bean soup, a fast favorite
2 15.5 oz. cans of black beans
1/3 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced1 jalapeno, diced
1 bay leaf
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic (or about 1-2 minced fresh cloves of garlic)
2 c. water
Sea salt to taste
Cumin to taste
(optional--as much cilantro as you like)

In 3 qt. saucepan, saute onions, garlic, bay leaf, jalapeno and bell pepper in olive oil over medium-low heat, until onions are transparent.While onions and peppers are cooking, open and drain both cans of beans. Leave one can of beans whole; mash other can of beans until they form a paste (easiest to do this right in the can with a fork or wooden spoon).

Add whole beans to onion mixture and stir. Add water and bring to a low boil. Add bean paste and stir until the paste is dispersed and soup has thickened. Add cumin to taste (I like it a lot so I add at least a full tsp., sometimes more). Add cilantro and salt to taste. Simmer over low heat for another 10 or so minutes, then remove from heat. Serve topped with a sprinkling of diced peppers and onions, nonfat plain organic yogurt, and home-made guacamole or a sprinkling of low-fat cheddar cheese.

3. Scottish Stilton Soup: I got the recipe online, from Recipegoldmine.com. I had to tweak the recipe so it wasn't so, you know, obscenely fatty and dangerous to one's health. The original can be found here. Here's my tweaked version.

1 head cauliflower
1/2 c. diced shallots
1/2 c. diced carrots1 bay leaf
1/4 c butter (or, if you're really trying to be good, 2 tbsp. of olive oil, instead)
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 c. vegetable broth (unsalted, non-tomato based)
1 1/2 c. skim milk
1 1/2 c. crumbled stilton cheese
1 tsp. sea salt

Boil cauliflower until tender. Remove florets from stem, chop and set aside. Discard stem. In 3 qt. saucepan saute shallots, bay leaf and carrots in pan with butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove bay leaf.

Add cool broth, milk and florets to saucepan and blend ingredients in saucepan with hand blender (or in standard blender) until fairly smooth. Return soup to heat and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Add crumbled cheese and stir until melted. Add sea salt to taste. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Next time, solid food, promise.

Sapidity.

2005-02-24T01:52:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Sapidity in the City, food-focused sister of my main blog, Siddity in the City. I'll be posting recipes, restaurant reviews, product reviews and the occasional kitchen mishap here when the fancy strikes.

Feel free to send recipes or restaurant and cooking/food product suggestions, or naked photos!
Kidding about the product suggestions. Who needs that?

Anyway, I'm working out a tandoori salmon right now. Results TK.